Health care needs consensus, not politics

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, speaks during a news conference last week about reforming health care. The Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson (GCHJ) proposal repeals the structure of Obamacare and replaces it with a block grant given annually to states to help individuals pay for health care. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg) less

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, speaks during a news conference last week about reforming health care. The Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson (GCHJ) proposal repeals the structure of Obamacare ... more

Trump Meets With Health Insurance CEO's WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 27: (AFP OUT) U.S. President Donald Trump leads a listening session with health insurance company CEO's in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, February 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. Trump vowed to fix the problems with the Affordable Care Act. (Photo by Aude Guerrucci-Pool/Getty Images)

Trump Meets With Health Insurance CEO's WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 27: (AFP OUT) U.S. President Donald Trump leads a listening session with health insurance company CEO's in the Roosevelt Room of the White

Demonstrators protest the Republican health care bill at the Capitol in Washington, May 4, 2017. The House will vote on legislation to repeal and replace major parts of the Affordable Care Act. (Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times) less

Demonstrators protest the Republican health care bill at the Capitol in Washington, May 4, 2017. The House will vote on legislation to repeal and replace major parts of the Affordable Care Act. (Gabriella ... more

Photo: GABRIELLA DEMCZUK, STR

Image 6 of 10

FILE - In this March 1, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump, flanked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, and House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., speaks during a meeting with House and Senate leadership, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Repeal and replace âObamacare.â Just repeal. Or let it fail _ maybe with a little nudge. President Donald Trump has sent a flurry of mixed messages, raising questions about the White House strategy on health care. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) less

FILE - In this March 1, 2017 file photo, President Donald Trump, flanked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, and House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., speaks during a meeting with House and ... more

Photo: Evan Vucci, STF

Image 7 of 10

FILE - In this June 21, 2017 file photo, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price speaks during a listening session in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, in Washington. An intriguing new theory is gaining traction among ÂObamacareÂsÂ conservative foes: The Medicaid expansion to low-income adults under former President Barack ObamaÂs Affordable Care Act may be fueling the opioid epidemic. If true, that would represent a shocking outcome for government policy. But thereÂs no evidence thatÂs happening, say university researchers who have long studied the drug problem. Some say Medicaid may be having the opposite effect, helping mitigate the epidemic. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) less

FILE - In this June 21, 2017 file photo, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price speaks during a listening session in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, in Washington. An intriguing new theory is ... more

Photo: Alex Brandon, STF

Image 8 of 10

FILE - In this June 27, 2017, file photo, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, left, joined by Ohio Gov. John Kasich, speaks during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington. The bipartisan governor duo is urging Congress to retain the federal health care law's unpopular individual mandate while seeking to stabilize individual insurance markets as legislators continue work on a long-term replacement law. Kasich, and Hickenlooper shared their plan in a letter to congressional leaders Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, file) less

FILE - In this June 27, 2017, file photo, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, left, joined by Ohio Gov. John Kasich, speaks during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington. The bipartisan ... more

Photo: Carolyn Kaster, STF

Image 9 of 10

FILE - In this July 27, 2017 file photo, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. listens as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Johnson suggested that John McCain's brain tumor and the after-midnight timing of the vote were factors in the Arizona lawmaker's decisive vote against the GOP health care bill. In a radio interview, Johnson answered questions about the collapse of the years-long Republican effort to repeal and replace Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, his criticism of the process and McCain's dramatic vote. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) less

FILE - In this July 27, 2017 file photo, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. listens as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Johnson suggested that John McCain's brain tumor and the ... more

Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, STF

Image 10 of 10

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminister, N.J., Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017. The president raised the possibility that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should step down if he can't muscle health care and other legislation through the Senate, taking an extraordinary swipe at the man with the most power to steer the White House agenda through the chamber. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) less

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminister, N.J., Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017. The president raised the possibility that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should step down ... more

Photo: Evan Vucci, STF

Health care needs consensus, not politics

1 / 10

Back to Gallery

Republicans in Congress are still trying to spike the political football instead of reaching a bipartisan consensus that will help Americans receive quality, affordable health care.

Unfortunately, the latest repeal and replace effort by GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy, La., Lindsey Graham, S.C., Dean Heller, Nev., and Ron Johnson, Wis. follows the same old script. Meet behind closed doors, craft a bill that will meet only a political imperative and then call a vote before anyone can do a thorough analysis.

The Congressional Budget Office says it doesn't have time to score the bill before a deadline for Congress to act. But we do know it would not cut federal taxes and it would send lump sums to the states with per capita limits on spending.

The federal health care exchanges would disappear, leaving more people uninsured. It would also allow states to raise rates on people with preexisting conditions and reduce the coverage in basic health insurance plans.

In other words, it would do the opposite of what most Americans want, according to a new Texas Medical Center Health Policy Institute survey. It turns out that "people in red, blue and swing states are not so different in their views toward health care," my colleague Jenny Deam writes.

The survey found most people agree that every American should have a minimum level of health care protection, but that cost is the biggest obstacle for people who do not have coverage. The Graham-Cassidy bill does nothing to reduce costs, it only reduces coverage.

There is a bipartisan alternative that would solve the problems with Obamacare as it stands, but its in trouble. Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Republican chairman of the Health Committee, and the top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Patty Murray, say they will soon have a bill that would attract widespread support if the Republican leadership will give them a chance.

Republican governors, who will have to implement whatever Congress passes, oppose the Graham-Cassidy bill and are cautiously hopeful for the Alexander-Murphy effort. But a compromise would not give Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan the political victory they seek ahead of 2018 Republican primaries.

This is where business people, particularly those in health care, need to make their voices heard. Elected officials needs to know that the majority of Americans are interested in solutions to our problems, not symbolic bills that make for good campaign slogans but destroy health care jobs and businesses.

McCain was right to vote no on the last repeal and replace effort, and he'd do well to vote against this one for the same reasons. Obamacare taught us that durable solutions require durable support from both political parties and the American people.

If Graham-Cassidy passes, it won't be long until we find ourselves right back here again, only with Democrats holding as majority and trying to steamroll Republicans the way they did in 2010 with the Affordable Care Act.